RB Turbo Richard outraces all on 71-yard touchdown run. (Barry Chin/Boston Globe staff)

On their opponent’s five-yard line, 19 seconds remaining, and down by four points, the Eagles faced the opportunity yesterday to redirect a star-crossed early season and win their first game against a FBS-level opponent. QB Dylan Lonergan had led BC on a seven-play 70-yard drive and had just thrown a pass that had been dropped at the goalline.

The chance was lost when Lonergan’s next throw was intercepted and the Cal Bears celebrated a 28-24 victory. The Cal win cemented a Bay Area sweep, as it followed BC’s 30-20 loss two weeks earlier at Stanford.

BC entered the game as the favorite and took a 7-0 lead with a 12-play, 84-yard opening drive, ending with Lonergan running for the last seven yards. Just over a minute later, following a BC interception, RB Turbo Richard ran 27 yards for a second score and 14-0 lead. Cal scored near the end of the quarter to cut the lead to 14-7.

The Eagles gained 113 yards in the opening quarter, 48 on the ground. Richard averaged just under 10 yards a carry on four rushes, including his touchdown run.

In previous games, BC scored a disproportionate number of points in the second quarter, indeed all but six of their total points, and lacked offense in the other quarters. Yesterday, the second quarter was their nadir. 

Possessing the ball for only five minutes, 20 seconds, BC gained only 46 yards in the second quarter, 15 on the ground. Cal scored another touchdown to tie the game at 14, but BC’s Luca Lombardo kicked a 52-yard field goal near the end of the half to put the Eagles in the lead, 17-14, at the half.

Neither team scored in the third quarter and BC nearly equaled their ineffective offense in the second quarter, gaining only 54 yards in the period, 29 through the air.

Both offenses lit up in the final quarter, with a combined total of 291 yards offense. The Eagles ran 17 plays for 162 yards, including 90 on the ground. Featured was a 71-yard run by Richard for a touchdown (photo at top) that quickly followed a Cal short touchdown play, brought about by the Bears’ interception of Lonergan, and gave BC a 24-21 lead early in the quarter.

The Bears responded with a nine-play 88-yard drive, climaxed by a 51-yard touchdown pass to Cal’s tight end, that put Cal ahead 28-24. And thus the stage was set for the the disappointing denouement for BC fans described in the opening of this post.

The Eagles fall to 1-3, 0-2 in conference play.

“I haven’t been able to get it done in this program, to this point, of these guys learning how not to lose before they can learn how to win,” Coach Bill O’Brien said.

Both offenses were pretty equal statistically, with BC gaining 375 yards total and Cal 372. The Eagles were much more balanced than in previous games, with 178 net yards rushing and 197 yards passing.

Cal had a significant edge in time of possession, more than 10 minutes longer than BC. That was also evident in the number of plays, as the Bears ran 71 plays, compared to 58 for the Eagles.

BC accumulated 15 penalties for 109 yards.

Lonergan was 21 of 37 passing for 197 yards, no touchdowns, and with two costly interceptions, one that led to a two-yard Cal touchdown and the other preventing a potential BC victory. Turbo Richard led BC runners with 171 yards on 15 carries, for two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 19 yards.

WR Lewis Bond led receivers with seven receptions for 77 yards. WR Reed Harris also had four receptions for 54 yards.

Highlights (8:19)

Next up for the Eagles is a visit to 2-2 Pitt on Saturday, October 4. Kickoff is 9 am PT.